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A Toronto-based breakfast company is celebrating its literal launch into space after one of its products was chosen to be part of the Artemis II mission.
The Canadian Space Agency contacted Goldys in the summer of 2024 to see if the company was interested in getting its product into outer space, said co-founder Daniel Schreiber.
“Ultimately they were looking for something very special for the mission. They were looking for a Canadian product,” he said.
After going through a testing phase with the space agency and a selection process by the astronauts, co-founder Daniel Carson said the cereal was selected to go into space “exactly as is” without any changes to the recipe.
“Just like how you would buy [the product] at Sobeys, Metro, Longos or Whole Foods, is exactly how the astronauts were having it,” he said.
The crew of the Artemis II arrived back on Earth on Friday after a successful mission. The four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft set a record for the furthest distance humans have ever travelled into space. Ismaila Alfa, the host of CBC Radio’s Fresh Air, spoke with Western University professor Gordon ‘Oz’ Osinski, who’s known Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen for 15 years.
Schreiber says the cereal was chosen after it met a specific list of requirements, including:
- A long shelf life that would be usable for other missions.
- Being dense in nutrients without any additives.
- Passing micro-gravity testing to see how it would react in space.
- Being lightweight.
Carson said they didn’t want to get their hopes up during the year and a half of testing. He said the company would get orders from the agency during this time from Quebec, Houston and Cape Canaveral.
“We have a bit of imposter syndrome at times,” he said. “We didn’t want to get too excited, we weren’t sure how likely it would happen.”
Once the cereal passed the space agency’s checks, Carson said it came down to the astronauts to decide which products they liked best.
“They looked at it, tasted it and ultimately chose it,” said Schreiber.
“It all concluded with an email that said, ‘Congratulations, you’re approved for space flight and you’ll be joining us on the Artemis mission.'”
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen chose Goldys’ strawberry lavender cereal as his breakfast of choice for the mission.
After a nerve-wracking six minutes of lost communication, the astronauts inside the crew capsule have splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, right on schedule at 8:07 p.m. ET. The landing brings the record breaking Artemis II mission around the moon and back to an end after 10 days.
Artemis II launch moment was ‘haunting’
The duo joined in on the launch festivities in Florida earlier this month, which they said was a nerve-wracking experience to see if the mission would take place.
But when the countdown finally started, Carson said it was “a haunting” moment filled with “awe” and excitement.
With an eye to the sky, Carson and Schreiber said they were eagerly awaiting the Artemis II crew’s return this week to finally celebrate the milestone.
“Because that’s the most important part, [the astronauts’] safe return home,” said Schreiber, adding they’re grateful to be part of a historic Canadian moment.
“Our seeds have gone further than any seeds before … and even the smallest seed can make the biggest difference.”
Now the pair is looking forward to connecting with Hansen to get his feedback on how the cereal tasted in space.
“Did it make him feel good? Did he like it in space? Palates we learned change in space,” said Schreiber.
He said Goldys is planning to maintain its relationship with NASA and the Canadian Space Agency to see if the company can join future missions — and maybe even go to Mars one day.
